1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to games of strategy incorporating the ability of players to determine the intersections of azimuths.
2. Description of the Related Art:
The art to which the present invention relates includes strategic games or simulations. The well known games sold under the trademark BATTLESHIP partially comprises the art to which the invention relates. The BATTLESHIP game is a two player or two team game. Each player or team positions a plurality of ships on a grid space having horizontal and vertical intersecting coordinates. Each player or team takes turns selecting and calling out an identifiable position on the opposing player's or team's grid with the hopes of scoring a hit on one of the opponents ships placed on the grid. Thus, each time a ship or a portion thereof occupies a grid space which an opposing player calls off, the opposing player is deemed to score a hit on the ship and play continues until all of a player's or team's ships are sunk. A ship is sunk after a predetermined number of hits are scored on each respective ship.
For example, a ship resembling an aircraft carrier will encounter more hits to sink the ship, but an aircraft carrier is easier to locate on the grid because it occupies mere than one grid space. In comparison, a small PT-boat will take fewer hits to sink, but a PT-boat is more difficult to find, because it typically occupies only two grid spaces. Throughout play of the game BATTLESHIP, an opponent's playing board on which an opponent's ships are placed is hidden from view of the opposing player. Accordingly, the identifiable grid spaces called off during play of the BATTLESHIP game are, for the most part, chosen at random until the player scores a hit and attempts to score additional hits on the same ship in order to sink it.
Other games that comprise the art to which the invention relates include "Checkers" and "Chess". Checkers and Chess are played on a grid type board with a variety of playing pieces moved in patterned, or allowable, directions. With respect to the game of chess, certain playing pieces such as the bishop, queen and to some extent the rook are movable along lines of play that could be described as azimuths.
Typically, azimuths are associated with air and sea navigation and used extensively in the military for establishing a point to azimuth intersection relationship. An azimuth can be defined as a distance in angular degrees from a reference point. Using two reference points and using one azimuth from each point an azimuth intersection can occur. An azimuth may also be defined as an arc of the horizon measured between a fixed point (location of the observer) and the vertical circle passing through the center of an object (the intended target).
An azimuthal equidistant projection is, therefore, a map projection of the surface of the earth (or some other finite space having boundaries), so centered at any given point that a straight line radiating from the center to any other point represents the shortest distance and can be measured to scale, For example, if a map of a particular national forest is used, one can determine the location of a target by selecting two points of reference. The first point is a landmark having a known map position, and the second point is a different landmark having a known map position but not coincident with the first point. From there a first intersecting line can be drawn from the first point to the target, and a second line can be drawn from the second point to the target. The azimuth intersection of these lines provides a precise location of the target on the map.
Until now, a game or simulation utilizing an azimuthal selection based upon the intersection of two such intersecting azimuths from two reference points, and a hypothesis of the player selecting the intersecting azimuths from the two frames of reference to the target, has not been invented.